


Fireproof in perspective

by Anker



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Epistolary, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 17:56:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15539793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anker/pseuds/Anker
Summary: Becca Summersby, aspiring journalist, attends the British Music Awards. She's certain Zayn and Liam are in a clandestine relationship - and she's ready to prove it.





	Fireproof in perspective

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you for reading! English is not my mother tongue - I hope it doesn't show too much. This story has been sitting inside my head for a while and this weekend I finally managed to put it on paper. Enjoy!

 

**From:** [ **bma@bma.co.uk** ](mailto:bma@bma.co.uk)

**To: <bcc> ** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

**Subject: Welcome to the Annual British Music Awards**

 

**Annual British Music Awards: Welcome!**

 

In a few hours, stars will start arriving to the red carpet, cameras will start flashing, champagne bottles will start popping…

In other words, the Annual British Music Awards are about to begin.

Our entire team wants to wish you a very warm welcome.

We would like to remind you that every nominee must make his or her entrance between eight and eight thirty.

The ceremony will start at nine PM, sharp. Every nominee will be told upon entering where he or she can take a seat.

Assistants, translators and other staff members are welcome to reside in the staff room. There will be no extra places in the auditorium.

 

Journalists and other press representatives are expected to leave the entrance area by nine forty-five at the latest and will be seated in the press quarter.

Please ensure that you have your badge, which you find enclosed in this e-mail, on you at all times, as people who are not in posession of legitimate identifaction will be removed from the premises.

 

Enjoy your evening!

 

————————————————————

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Guess what…**

 

I’M HERE!!!!

I’M ACTUALLY HERE!!!!

In a few hours, I and I alone (well, together with a hundred other journalists, give or take), will be standing next to a REAL RED CARPET!!!

And then I will be allowed inside, to a BALLROOM, where every musician who means something in Britain will be sitting on a chair adorned in gold (presumably).

ON WHICH I GET TO WRITE AN ENTIRE ARTICLE!!!

Well, not on the chair, obviously.

BUT ON THE AWARDS!!! THE MUSIC AWARDS!!!!

OMG!!!!!

 

**From:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**To:** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

 

Let’s hope you don’t use as much exclamation points in your article as you do in your e-mails, though.

How did you land this gig again?

Not that I doubt your journalism skills, of course.

It’s just that it’s kind of a weird place for a copy editor to end up in.

 

PS: Did you remember to pick up mom’s socks from the drycleaner’s before you left?

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Re: Guess what…**

 

You know how I ended up here.

Leigh Ann got food poisoning.

 

PS: I didn’t. I still don’t understand why she insist on sending _only_ her socks to the drycleaner’s, anyway.

 

**From:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**To:** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

 

Yes. And how much seafish did you feed her exactly?

 

PS: You know why. She’s afraid they will get lost in her own machine. She’s got some sort of theory that all the lost socks in the world aren’t really lost, but that they are hiding somewhere, plotting revenge and world domination. Don’t ask me why.

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Re: Guess what…**

 

Ha-ha-ha.

You’re really not funny. You know that’s not how it happened.

It just so happens that the ABMA take place during the first sunny weekend of the year, so that, when Leigh Ann called in sick this morning, Ellen had a lot of trouble finding someone else to replace her, seeing as everyone seems to be away for the weekend.

Which I find hard to believe, personally.

Who wouldn’t come back from holiday for the ABMA?

Being a journalist has to be _so_ exciting, if an evening like this doesn’t warrant a ticket on the first plane back to England. I mean. I know I would.

 

PS: Logically speaking, if socks were plotting world domination, wouldn’t you want to be some of your own to be among them? Who is going to protect her and tell them she’s a good sort, now?

 

**From:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**To:** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

 

You would.

You totally would. You proved that when you **drove all over the country to tell Ellen that you would write the article.** Seriously, what’s up with that, Becca? I know you’re excited for these awards, but, I don’t know.

You seem _overly_ excited somehow.

 

PS: Did you really just say ‘logically speaking’ about mom’s sock-world-domination-theory?

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Re: Guess what…**

 

I didn’t drive all over the country. It was only a hour and a half trip.

One way.

And the airco broke down when I got halfway, which meant that I arrived back home with a swimming pool made of sweat at my feet.

But it doesn’t matter, because in a few hours, I will be there. I will be standing among all the other journalists, and just like them, I will be a _real_ journalist, because I will be taking notes on the colour and cut of Liam Payne’s shirt, and by tomorrow, I will have a _real_ article published.

Not the weather report. Not the astrology section. Not even the personal ads section - no, my name will be standing, proud and tall, next to an article in the Entertainment section.

Do you kow what that means, Evie?

Do you?

It means that I might not be stuck at the copywriting desk for the rest of my life, after all.

Who knew, right? Who knew that I had it in me.

I sure didn’t.

 

PS: I’ll rest my case.

 

**From:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**To:** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

 

Yes, and I’m really proud of you, sis.

I know when you took your job at the _Journal_ three years ago, you were hoping to get to write a lot more than you currently do, so I understand why you were so eager to -

 

OH MY GOD BECCA YOU LYING, SCHEMING WEASEL.

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Re: Guess what…**

 

?????

What did I do now????

 

**From:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**To:** [ **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk** ](mailto:beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk)

 

Pretending like you wanted to go to the ABMA to get to write an article, that’s what you did.

And to think I almost fell for it, too.

As if I don’t know you better.

Admit it: you’re _only_ there because those Two Arrows guys will be there, too.

ADMIT IT.

 

 **From** : **beccasummersby@londonjournal.co.uk**

**To:** [ **eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk** ](mailto:eviesummersby@mailbox.co.uk)

**Subject: Re: Guess what…**

 

Geez, Eve, what are you getting so worked up about?

Okay, so yes, the fact that One Direction (which is what their band is called - a fact you are well aware of, so I don’t know why you insist in giving them ridiculously wrong names. Two Arrows, I ask you.) will be here is a slight - well, _advantage_ to this task.

But I would have taken it otherwise as well.

I don’t know what kind of fangirl you take me for - I’m not _that_ committed.

 

 

————————————————————

 

**Becca added you to a new Whatsapp group.**

**Becca named the Whatsapp group ‘ALL SYSTEMS GO’.**

 

 **Becca:** I’M HERE. I’M HERE AND READY TO DO SOME SERIOUS SPYING. OMG. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. I’M HERE!!!!!!

 **Sylvia:** YOU’RE THERE!!!!

 **Sylvia:** I swear, this is the most exciting thing that has happened to me since I got flagged down on the motorway two years ago and the police officer happened to be wearing a clown’s nose.

 **Becca:** Glad to be of service.

< **Becca sent a picture** >

 **Becca:** THAT IS HOW CLOSE I AM TO THE RED CARPET! DO YOU SEE THAT!!!

 **Tyler:** How did you manage to get that close, anyway? I was here an hour ago and I’m stuck all the way at the back. Did you manage to snatch one of those VIP passes or did you talk them into believing that you’re actually some kind of sorcerer who will make sure that every star’s hair will look miraculously fabulous as soon as they are turned to someon’s camera and is that why the other vultures let you pass through their pack?

 **Becca:** Shut up. That’s not how it happened.

 **Becca:** I just used a lot of um - elbow work, is all.

 **Tyler** : You sly fox.

 **Becca:** BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER NOW, BECAUSE DO YOU GUYS REALIZE THAT IN A FEW MOMENTS LIAM PAYNE AND ZAYN MALIK WILL WALK PAST ME, TOGETHER, AND I WILL BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THEIR LOVING GLANCES TO EACH OTHER AND TELL YOU ALL ONCE AND FOREVER WHETHER THEY ARE IN A COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER.

 **Tyler:** Oh, not this again.

 **Sylvia:** OMG!!!!!!

 **Sylvia:** Shut up, Tyler. I know you ‘only like them for their music’ or whatever, but some of us happen to be in the fandom for the personal interest of it, too. God.

 **Sylvia:** I’m so excited you’re there, Becca!!!!!

 **Sylvia:** Even though I have to admit, I’m not sure your allknowing eye will be able to tell us ‘for once and for all’ whether Liam and Zayn are together. I mean - if they are keeping their relationship on the down-low because of potential backlash, they’re not likely to stare longinly into each other’s eyes on the red carpet, are they?

 **Tyler:** Their _alleged_ relationship.

 **Sylvia** : Fine. Their alleged relationship.

 **Tyler:** For what it’s worth, you two always talk about ‘backlash’ as being the reason why those two wouldn’t tell us they are together (which, I assure you, they’re not), but I don’t get it. Half the fandom would go _crazy_ if they announced just that. There are hour-long YouTube videos on why they SHOULD by together, for crying out loud. If they were, why on earth would they want to keep it a secret?

 **Becca:** Oh Tyler.

 **Sylvia:** Oh Tyler.

 **Tyler:** DON’T OH-TYLER ME, TELL ME!

 

——————————————

 

**The personal journal of Becca Summersby**

 

OMG. I can’t believe this is happening. When Ellen told me I could write the article, I was so sure that something would go wrong. That I would get sick myself, that my train would crash on the way here or that the ice cream truck across the road would explode and spill ice cream all over my brand new dress - and that I would have been forced to go home and change, and miss it all.

But none of that happened, and now I’m here, and I’m about to have the most magical evening in all my life.

All those years I speant on Tumblr, watching pictures of One Direction fans who got to meet their idols, all of those hours I spent photoshopping pictures, analysing glances, dissecting song lyrics… All of those times I wondered if I would ever get to meet one of the boys in real life….

!!!

I still can’t believe it.

Mom would have an aneurysm if she knew. I can still see her rolling her eyes when I told her I wanted to try and get a degree in journalism.

“It’s about that One Direction thing again, isn’t it? It’s always about something with you.”

I mean, I know we didn’t have money to spare at that time, and that I hadn’t exactly been a model of diligent behaviour up until that point, but I figured out during my last year of high school that I was passionate about _something_ at least - and that that something was sharing information to the public.

And I may have picked a One Direction Tumblr to make that happen, but does it really matter that much? If she would have taken a second to actually read that blog, she may have been surprised by the amount work I put into it. You don’t get 60,000 followers just for nothing.

So in a way, seeing my name next to the article tomorrow morning is about much more than witnessing Niall, Harry, Louis, Liam an Zayn receiving an award tonight.

Even though it is maybe _mostly_ about that.

 

————————————————————

 

**Tyler sent a message to ‘ALL SYSTEMS GO.’**

**Tyler:** Did you see them, Becca? Thoughts?

 **Becca:** I saw them! I was so close I could almost TOUCH them!

 **Sylvia:** DETAILS PLEASE!!!

 **Becca:** Ok real quick ‘cause we have to get inside: they looked fabulous!! Z and L were walking side to side as always lol, real subtle guys. Harry wore the most amazing shirt I have ever seen in my life. It has parrots.

 **Tyler** : They looked stressed.

 **Sylvia:** Of course they’re stressed. If they win, half the music industry will scream mayhem, claiming that they’re not a real band. If they lose, the entire music industry will laugh in their faces.

 **Tyler** : Not sure if they looked _that_ stressed.

 **Sylvia:** I’m so jealous of you guys. So jealous! I’m living vicariously through you right now. Oooh, do you think you could touch Harry’s hair? Because that’s something I would like to do.

 **Sylvia:** Vicariously, I mean.

 **Sylvia:** You’re probably heading inside. Keep me posted!!!

 **Sylvia:** That’s an order.

 

————————————————————

 

**The personal journal of Becca Summersby**

 

Tyler can nag all he wants - there’s no mistaking the tender glances Zayn keeps throwing at Liam. I know there’s something about to happen. I just know it. The evening has just started and it’s all wonderful - I’ve got enough material to write three newspapers full instead of just one article. But the scoop of the evening, in my opinion, is that Zayn Malik and Liam Payne are appearing Together In Public.

Together together, I mean.

No one else has caught on yet, I mean, the boys are notorious for being handsy with each other, but I am absolutely and completely certain.

I present to you, anonymous journal I haven’t named yet: The Evidence.

 **Exhibit A:** When they came onto the Red Carpet, and some asinine reporter yelled at Liam that he looked _hotter than ever_ , Zayn smirked and looked at Liam with what I can only describe as a longing glance. I know, it sounds utterly cliché, but you know what? Clichés exist for a reason - we use them because it’s something that happens often, and because they are the best way to describe what we feel at that moment. And the longing glace is _exactly_ what happened.

 **Exhibit B:** They have these huge screens here, on either side of the stage, and there are a few cameras filming all the nominees and what’s happening in the room and whatnot. Ziam have been on screen four times now - and of those four times, they were holding hands _twice._ Zayn had his hand on Liam’s, which was resting on his leg. If that’s not proof, I don’t know what is.

 **Exhibit C:** Both boys seem really, _really_ nervous. Like, way more nervous than they should be for an awards ceremony - for an award they’re probably going to win, to be totally honest. Niall, Harry and Louis don’t seem half as nervous, they’re just… happy. Like expectant. I wonder what they think is going to ha

 

 

 **T:** Stop writing in your stupid journal and watch.the.show.

 **B:** Hey! Pen-stealer! I _am_ watching the show! Unlike you, I can manage to do two things at the same time, you know.

 **T:** I can’t believe you’re writing Ziam theories in your notebook now. Don’t you think it’s a bit disrespectful when they are in the same room as you?

 **B:** I’m just all about the truth.

 **T:** I have so many problems with tha———

 

————————————————————

 

 

**Sylvia sent a message to ‘ALL SYSTEMS GO’.**

**Sylvia:** Is either of you going to update me yet or should I just die here from loneliness.

 **Sylvia:** Guys. The internet is BLOWING. UP. What happened??? GUYS!!!

 **Sylvia:** I WILL DISOWN YOU BOTH IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW.

 **Tyler:** Calm down. You can’t disown us, we’re not your heirs.

 **Sylvia:** Oh so you can find the time to inform me on the details of HEREDITARY, but not about an alleged ZIAM KISS? EXCUSE ME??? ONE OF YOU SEND ME INFO!

 **Becca:** Brb dyin

 **Becca:** I can’t believe this happened, Sylvia.

 **Sylvia:** I officially hate you both.

 

————————————————————

 

**Fireproof love for 1D-boys**

By Becca Summersby

 

LONDON - Who knew that after all the terrific music they made, the One Direction boys would still be able to catch us by surprise? Because that’s exactly what they did when, after accepting their award for Best Album at the ABMA last night, Liam Payne grabbed the mic and delivered the most heartfelt acceptance speech ever written.

It didn’t come as any surprise that One Direction won the Best Album award, but when the members came on stage and the whole auditorium grew silent awaiting their speech, no one could have foreseen how much the boys would steal hearts across the nation, yet again.

Well, steal hearts _and_ break hearts, I suppose, because what Liam Payne announced will rather disappoint a fair amount of teenagers who kiss their 1D-poster goodnight each night, wishing their true love will find them soon.

Payne’s speech started as just another run-of-the-mill acceptance speech, thanking Britiain’s mania, managment and his mother. For a moment, it seemed as that was all he had to say - but then he surprised everyone by asking the mic back and telling us how much he believed in 1D’s message.

The message you can find in every song, Payne told us, is that love always wins. Love is true, love unites and love is - above all - worth it. Worth the pain, the tears, the betrayal - because love always ends up stronger because of it.

Payne went on by telling us that recently, he had learned that not everyone saw love this way. Some people think of love, he said, as something to keep quiet. As something that can be a _marketing strategy._

He almost spit out those words, that’s how angry he was.

He went on, but only because Zayn Malik put his hand on Payne’s back to calm him down.

And if something as beautiful as love will mange to divide us, Payne went on, then there may be no hope left for this world after all. So he didn’t want to let that happen any longer. He wanted to see love as the pure, enduring force that it was. Anyone who didn’t agree with him, was welcome to find two new band members.

And while those words were still sinking in, he let down his mic, and kissed his co-member Zayn Malik full on the mouth.

Suffice it to say, this edition of the Annual British Music Awards will not soon be forgotten!


End file.
